[First published on 27th March 2018] Cornwall Council’s ten-strong Cabinet will be considering a range of important items at their next meeting at County Hall (Wednesday 28th March). These include adult social care and a stadium for Cornwall, as well as a document entitled “New Frontiers,” which I wish to comment on.

"As a local councillor, I was heavily involved in the production of the Cornwall Local Plan. This contains Cornwall’s present housing target, which covers the period 2010-2030, but the process of finalising the target was a charade and local politicians ended up having to agree what was acceptable to the UK Government."

One of the main cries of the Brexit campaign was to return control to the British people. What did they exactly mean by that? They probably were working on the hypothesis, emanating from the Tory press, that the unelected EU Commission was deciding UK legislation, whereas all EU Directives have to be accepted into UK law by a vote of Parliament. I even heard a right wing commentator on the radio say that being out of Europe would not make any difference as we were already complying with all EU regulations. If this is the case then why are UK law firm Client Earth taking action in the EU Court of Human Rights against the UK Government for not implementing the Air Quality regulations?

The Inspector from the EiP has just released his “Schedule of Post Hearing Changes for Consultation,” and I am disappointed to report that he has rejected calls for the “eco-community” to be removed from Local Plan.

The Inspector into the Cornwall Local Plan has just released his “Schedule of Post Hearing Changes for Consultation.” This sets out the changes that he deems necessary to make the Plan “sound” in the eyes of central government, and follows the second session of the Examination in Public (EiP) which took place in May.

In recent weeks, Mebyon Kernow has come in for some criticism that it has failed to do enough to push for a lower housing target during the work towards the Cornwall Local Plan. I am saddened by this, and I have been asked by a colleague to put the record straight.